


Of Familiar Things

by miwagashi



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: Deja Vu, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Nostalgia, Reincarnation, hairdresser au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-07 12:05:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8800192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miwagashi/pseuds/miwagashi
Summary: (post series) (i suck at tagging)Reim lived a content peaceful life spending his days at the salon with an energetic hard-working assistant and pleasant conversations with his customers. At least it was, until a certain white haired annoyance waltzed into his life. Clearly he doesn't know this man, and yet...why do things feel so damn familiar?





	1. Nervous

**Author's Note:**

> (attempting to) drag my reluctant corpse off the soukoku ship by writing Pandora fluff instead. (also i should be studying for finals but that's besides the point) 
> 
> This is post series where everyone has reincarnated but with no memory of their past lives. All the characters resemble their past selves physically and personality wise (with a few minor tweaks but those will be a surprise)
> 
> Main pair will be Reim x Break but other characters will make cameos! 
> 
> I also have no knowledge of hairdresser terminology so apologies all around if I got anything horrendously wrong ;;;

“Thank you Reim-san~ Brilliant work as always!” A beautiful young lady with light brown hair pulled into a pony tail gave her hair a flick as she turned to smile at the man smiling warmly behind the counter. In the warm glow of the setting sun, the newly added pastel pink tinge seemed to glow around her like a halo.

“Not a problem, Sharon-sama. It’s always a pleasure.” Reim gave a polite bow as he readjusted his glasses.

“Mou… enough with ‘Sharon-sama’.” Sharon pouted at him before flicking him on the forehead, “I’ve told you before, just ‘Sharon’ is fine. I’ve been coming here for years already, quit acting like I’m some stranger.”

Reim shifted uncomfortably where he stood, but Sharon was smiling at him with such an expectant look that he let out a exasperated sigh, “…As you wish Sharon-sam-“

Reim felt a shiver run up his spine as he saw Sharon smiling at him menacingly. “I mean…Sharon…-san…” The threatening aura Sharon weakening but not disappearing. “Oh, before you go, here are some tips on how to take care of the colour we put in today, pink can be tricky to take care of sometimes.” Reim handed her a neatly folded slip of paper, trying to change the subject, “I also advise a trim and touch up in a few weeks, would you like to schedule an appointment for it now?”

Sharon paused for a moment, surely considering whether to flick Reim again or let it slide. With a sigh, she took the slip of paper and put it into her purse, “Business as always, Reim-san, you should learn to lighten up a bit! But yes please, same time as usual in… three weeks?”

“Wonderful, I’ll book you in for that time slot then.” Reim marked down the appointment in his notebook and gave her a smile as she headed towards the exit. “Have a wonderful evening, Sharon-san.”

“See you soon, Reim-san!” Sharon gave him a friendly wave. Just before she walked out, she stopped and turned back to face Reim, “Oh, I almost forgot, I recommended a dear friend here. He said he was looking for a new hairdresser and asked for a recommendation so I gave him your business card. I know you’re really busy and aren’t taking on new appointments at the moment but he was adamant about seeing your work first hand. But if you don’t have the time…”

“I’m honoured, Sharon-san. Any friend of yours is always welcome, I’m sure I can manage to squeeze him in. Tell him to give me a call and we’ll set something up.”

“Wonderful! I’ll let him know.” Sharon clapped her hands together and her face lit up in excitement. “I think you’ll make fine friends!” With a light twirl, she headed back towards the exit, long floral dress flowing behind her, “Well, I’ve kept you long enough, have a wonderful evening Reim-san~ Take care!” And with one last wave, she walked out the door.

Reim smiled as he saw her off. “Reim-san, preparation is finished for the next customer!” A cheerful voice called out from behind him.

“I’ll be right there,” Reim responded over his shoulder, “Thank you Eliot-kun, you’re a huge help.” Reim gave his young assistant a warm smile as he walked over to the seat his next customer was seated in. ‘ _Eliot’s only been here for a couple months, and he’s already learned the basic skills and techniques without me having to teach him. I feel bad not setting aside the time to properly mentor him but we’ve just been so busy… maybe now’s a good opportunity to give him some practical experience._ ’

“Ma’am, if it’s alright with you, would it be alright if Eliot here was in charge of the cut today? I’ll be here to monitor and guide him of course, but he’ll be the lead hairdresser for you today.”

“Eh? But Reim-san! I’m still in training… I can’t possibly be entrusted with such an important task...!” Eliot’s cheeks were slightly pink and he was visibly shaken at the sudden suggestion, but underneath the nervous demeanor, it was clear that he was very excited about the chance.

“This is the last appointment for today and I think you’re ready for it. I know you’ve been practicing after closing. I have faith in your skills Eliot. Vanessa-sama just wants a trim for today so it’s nothing too complicated, I believe you’re more than capable for the job.” Reim gave Eliot a reassuring and encouraging smile.

“Eh, but...!” Eliot paused and thought hard about it. ‘ _Reim-san is entrusting me with one of his regular’s request. I think I can do it… I want to do it! But… what if I mess up? Then Reim-san’s reputation will…_ ’

“If Reim-san is recommending you, then what am I to argue? Anyone with Reim-san’s approval has mine as well.” The young lady in the seat spoke up with an approving smile. She turned to look at Eliot and the silent message she gave him was clear.

“Alright…. I’ll give it a try!” Eliot’s eyes lit up as he looked over to Reim again. Reim responded with an approving nod and stepped aside to give his assistant room to work. Eliot rolled up his sleeves and carefully prepared his supplies. He directly his attention to Vanessa and her soft, currently damp, curls. “A trim for today right? I’m thinking about 2 inches?”

“I’m in your hands today, Eliot-kun. If that’s what you feel is best, then let’s go with that.” Vanessa relaxed into her seat and glanced at Eliot in the mirror, who gave her the most adorable fanged smile in return.

__

 _Snip_. _Snip_. Short black locks fell silently to the ground as Eliot made confident cuts with his scissors. Reim gave him pointers occasionally, guiding and refining his technique but for the most part, he let his assistant do his work. As he progressed, he could tell that Eliot was getting more confident and relaxed, he even started chatting lightly with Vanessa. Reim gave him a proud smile just as they began chatting about cats and dogs, and motioned to Eliot as he headed to the staff room for a well needed break.

Reim poured himself a coffee, black with double cream, and checked the appointments for the rest of the week. He rubbed his temples as he was reminded of the packed schedule for the next few days. Not to misunderstand, Reim loved his job and all his customers were wonderful people, with interesting stories to tell each time, but it still took a toll on him when he was packed from morning to early evening when the salon closed. He was eternally grateful that Eliot was learning the trade and would soon be able to take on customers of his own to lighten his load.

Reim chuckled as he recalled some of the stories he’d heard today while lightly sipping his coffee.

‘ _I wonder how many cats Ada-sama has now seeing that Snowdrop just had another litter. I’ll have to ask for pictures next time._ ’ ‘ _Echo-sama really suits short hair if I do say so myself._ ’ Reim smiled fondly as he remember the how nervous the girl was as her short-tempered twin sister reassured her from the side.

A beep from the clock in the corner jolted him out of his thoughts. ‘ _Oh crap, it’s already seven! I’ve been here for half an hour already._ ’ Reim shot out of his seat and placed the empty mug in the sink before scurrying to the door.

Reim rushed back to the floor just in time to see Eliot finishing up Vanessa’s payment. “Ah Reim-san, I must say, I’m very impressed with Eliot-chan here! He might just trump you Reim-san, and that’s saying something!” Vanessa gave Reim a small wink, “I might just have to switch hairdressers from now on.”

Eliot gave a shy smile in response and scratched the rest back of his head. “No no, you give me too much credit. I’m glad you liked the cut.”

Reim smiled proudly at Eliot and put a hand on his shoulder, “Eliot-kun is a fast learner and a natural talented, it’s no surprise that he’ll surpass me soon.”

“Eh, I-I’m still nowhere near Reim-san’s level! I only managed because Reim-san is such a good teacher! I’ve admired Reim-san for such a long time, to actually be able to work by your side is an honour! Thank you for this opportunity!” Eliot bowed deeply at Reim while Reim looked flustered and clumsily motioned for him to stop.

Vanessa giggled warmly at the scene before gathering her purse and jacket, heading towards the exit. “See you soon, you two. Thank you again for the wonderful trim. Looking forward to how your skills advance next time, Eliot-chan~” And with a smile and a wave, she left the salon with a satisfied expression.

“Thank you very much!” Eliot happily beamed. He turned back to Reim who gave him a proud smile. “Ah, Reim-san, you must be tired, I’ll take care of the rest. You can head out first, I’ll close out shop today.”

“Thank you for your hard work Eliot-kun, but I still have some things left to do tonight. But hmm, if you insist, could sweep the floor, and clean the supplies? I can take care of the rest after that.”

“Yes sir!” Eliot energetically ran back onto the floor and grabbed a broom, happily humming as he swept.

Reim smiled fondly at Eliot before heading back to the storage room. ‘ _It’s been a few days since I’ve checked inventory, since we’re fully booked for the next week, I better make sure we have enough supplies._ ’

Reim lost track of time as he carefully went through each section and noted down what was in stock and what needed ordering. “I’m heading out Reim-san! Have a good night sir, see you tomorrow!” Eliot poked his head into the storage room on his way out, bringing Reim out of his trance to give Eliot a wave.

“You too Eliot-kun, good work today. Have a good night.”

Reim heard the ring of a bell as Eliot left the shop. ‘Well I better finish up soon too. I still need to wipe down the counters and fix up the staff room after all.’

Reim finished up inventory, and was pleasantly surprised to see that Eliot had already wiped down the counters. The staff room had also been swept, dishes done – including Reim’s forgotten coffee mug, and all the chairs had been neatly tucked under the tables. Reim chuckled lightly as he turned off the lights and gathered his things, ‘And here I told him I could do the rest…’ As he walked towards the exit to head home for the night his eye caught the clock, ‘It’s past eight already, just from doing inventory… I need to remember to thank Eliot tomorrow.” He checked over his notebook one last time before tucking it into his bag.

 _Riiiiiiiiing_. _Riiiiiiiing_. Reim stared blankly at the phone, hand on the door handle, ready to leave for the night. ‘ _Huh, who could be calling at this time? A customer? At this hour?_ ’ Reim contemplated ignoring it to let them to leave a message. ‘ _I’m here anyways… Might as well pick it up_ ’ Reim grumbled to himself as he carefully left his bag and coat on a waiting seat and walked over to the counter to pick up the phone. ‘ _It’s long past closing time, what sort of idiot would call at this time?_ ’ Reim thought to himself annoyingly as he pick up the phone.

“Good evening, Reim speaking from Salon Lun-“

“Ahhhh~ So you’re Reim-san~! I’ve heard so much about you~” A whiny voice interrupted him from the other end of the line. Immediately, Reim felt a headache coming on.

“Excuse me? It’s much past closing time, but how may I help you?” Reim tried to steady his voice from shouting in frustration at the man on the line.

“Ah, you see, I’m in search of a new hairdresser and I heard you’re the best in town~ And thus~ I’d like to make an appointment!” Reim could practically hear the grin through the phone as the man spoke. He could feel his frustration rising, ‘Calm down Reim, calm. You’ve already picked up the phone, might as well be an amiable person despite the reasonably, unreasonably hour it is.’

“I see, unfortunately, I’m not taking on new appointments at the moment, I’m all booked out for the next couple weeks. If you are set on booking with us though, you could try ringing back later in the week, DURING working hours, and I can see if I can book you in.” Reim wanted nothing more than to end the call quickly and head home but the whine that unmistakably reached his ear, suggested otherwise.

“Ehhhh, you must be joking~” Reim could practically hear the pout, “Sharon spoke of you with such high praise, I was hoping to see your skill for myself as soon as possible~ She told me to give you a call to set up an appointment~”

“You… are Sharon-sama’s acquaintance…?”

“Why yes! Guilty as charged~ So? Can’t you squeeze me in at all this week?” The voice pleaded with something that almost sounded sincere, but the obvious whine (and was that a smirk he heard?) made Reim doubt the sincerity of it.

Reim was felt his headache growing on the longer he spoke to the man. Sighing in defeat, as the man clearly wasn’t going to let up until he was either promised an appointment, or caused Reim to explode of frustration, “Fine, but only because you are Sharon-sama’s acquaintance. I’ll…” Reim sighed deeply before continuing, “You can come in tomorrow at 7:00 pm. I’ll squeeze you in after the rest of my appointments for the day. Is that alright?”

“Aww, how kind of you~ Just like Sharon said you’d be. I’ll see you tomorrow then Reim-san~”

“Wai-!” _Beeeeep_. _Beeeeeep_. The line was dead before he could ask for the service the man wanted. Heck, he didn’t even get his name! Reim put the phone back on the receiver and rubbed his temple. Taking a deep breath, he stood there for another couple minutes before composing himself enough to head out. ‘ _It’s just one more appointment… Plus he’s Sharon-sama’s friend. He can’t be… that… bad…_ ’ But something in Reim’s gut told him that wasn’t going to be the case.

Reim trudged over to his things and grabbed them before heading out and locking up. As he walked away, he glanced at the shop one last time before walked away, feeling slightly less motivated about the coming work day.

‘ _Guess we’ll find out tomorrow._ ’


	2. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another busy day of appointments comes and goes, along with the unfortunate arrival of a certain albino...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is finally here~ It's actually been written for weeks but I just never got around to editing it ^^;;
> 
> Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

“Busy day it seems, eh Reim-chan~”, A beautiful young lady with bright pink hair commented thoughtfully as Reim blow dried her hair.

“Aha, it certainly is busier than usual.” Reim mused as he set the finishing touches on Lottie’s hair, “And there we are, what do you think?”

“Ohh, it’s a bit shorter this time, I like it! Less to worry about during the hunt~”

“Eh… Lottie-sama… I thought you worked at a flower shop… Hunt?” Reim nervously removed Lottie’s shawl and helped her gather her belongings.

Lottie giggled lightly before slapping him not very gently on the back. “Hunting for flowers obviously! It was a joke Reim-chan, don’t be so serious~” Reim heaved a sigh of relief but the smile Lottie gave him sent a cold shiver down his spine.

‘ _Why do I get the feeling that she isn’t completely joking…_ ’ Reim shook his head and pushed the thought out of his mind as they made their way to the counter.

“Here you are, Reim-chan, your work is flawless as usual. Ahhh~,” Lottie gave a sing song sigh as she finished up her payment, complete with a generous tip. “I wish you had some weakness to tease; it’s no fun when you’re good at everything.” Reim smiled nervously at the comment but didn’t respond.

 _Ting._ The door to the salon flew open and a little girl pranced in. “Lottie~! Fang’s wondering when you’ll be back, the shop got a request for wedding pieces and he wants your help with the centerpieces! He sent me to come get you!” The girl shouted, glancing over at Reim and immediately looked away when she caught his eye, blushing shyly before going back to yell at Lottie.

“Lily.” She reached down to ruffle the girl’s hair, smiling sweetly. “I’m coming, I’m coming, but it’s no good to use Fang as an excuse you know.”

Lily’s face turned a brighter shade of pink and flailed at Lottie in a flustered voice, “Wh-wh-what are you talking about?! It’s not an e-excuse! Fang really did send me…!”

“So that bouquet there isn’t for Reim-chan then right?”

It was then that Reim noticed the bundle of sunflowers in Lily’s hand, which promptly disappeared behind her back, yellow blossoms peeking out ever so slightly.

“N-no! I just… These flowers aren’t fresh anymore and it would be shameful to sell them! I figured they could brighten this boring place up a bit!” Lily stuttered as she hit Lottie on the arm before running over to Reim and practically throwing the flowers in his face before turning and grabbing Lottie’s hand, dragging her towards the exit.

Reim glanced at the flowers he barely managed to catch thanks to his less than stellar athletic capabilities – not that Lottie needed that ammunition to tease him with, and noticed how some of the buds were just opening, dew still on the leaves. He smiled warmly at the duo rushing out the door, “Thank you Lily-chan, the flowers are beautiful. They certainly do add colour to the salon. Take care and have a good day, Lottie-sama, Lily-chan.”

Lottie managed to give him a wave before Lily dragged her fully through the door and out of sight.

A voiced calling out to him brought his attention back to the floor, “Reim-san, preparations for Alyss-san are finished!”

“Thank you Elliot-kun, I’m coming!” Reim rushed back to the floor and took over from Elliot, handing him the bouquet, “If you would, could you please see if we have a vase in the back for flowers? I’d like to put them on the reception counter.”

“Ah! I think I saw one in the back yesterday! I’ll go get it!” Elliot carefully accepted the flowers and dashed to the staff room to find a vase.

“Ehehe, he sure is energetic isn’t he?” Alyss giggled fondly in her seat, her usual Rapunzel-like hair wrapped up in a towel atop her head.

“Indeed, he puts his all into everything he does. I deeply admire that part of him.” Reim smiled at Alyss through the mirror as he removed the towel, her long white hair tumbling past her shoulders, almost reaching the floor. “Your hair is lovely as always, Alyss-sama, what can I do for you today?”

“Hmm… I’ve been thinking about that actually, and I’m been thinking of a change. I originally came for a trim, but now that I’m here… I’m wondering if I should try something new, provided we have the time that is. I know how busy you are these days.” Alyss ran her fingers through her damp hair with a caring expression before looking up expectantly at Reim. 

“It shouldn’t be a problem for time. Regarding your hair, there are a few things you could consider…” Reim carefully talking through some different options – from hair style change to adding colour. Somewhere along the way, Elliot came back and also joined in on the consultation. In the end, the settled for a shorter cut, taking off about a foot and adding subtle layers. They also agreed that adding subtle purple highlights would nicely complement her eyes. As Reim worked on adding in the colour, Elliot went to settle in the next arrival.

When Reim finished and presented Alyss with her new hair, she twirled around lovingly and gave Reim a grateful hug. She also skipped over to Elliot where he was attentively touching up some roots and gave him a big hug as well in thanks. Her eyes sparkling and smiling widely, radiating happiness as she paid and waltzed out, past the fresh vase of sunflowers, practically floating with excitement.

Reim gave her a wave and turned back to check on Elliot, “Ah, everything's fine here Reim-san, you can take a break if you’d like, you haven’t rested since we opened this morning. The next appointment won’t be for a while.” Elliot addressed him as he worked, hands nimbly applying the colour with practiced ease.

“Hmm.... alright then, I’ll take you up on that. I’m going to make some coffee, would you like some?”

“Ah, yes please! I’ll take-"

“Double double, right?” Reim smiled warmly at Elliot.

Elliot looked stunned for a moment before smiling brightly, “Yes!”

“And you, sir? Is there anything I can get for you?”

“I’m alright, thank you. Elliot-kun brought me some water earlier.”

Reim gave them both a light nod as he turned towards the staff room.

\--

‘ _Phew, it’s almost closing time, the last appointment is just about done. All that’s left is to wash out the dye, dry, and then style._ ’ Reim though as he gently massaged his customer’s scalp, washing the shampoo out of her hair.

Just as Reim started styling, Elliot began closing preparations – sweeping the floor and preparing supplies for tomorrow. It had been an exhausting day, appointments running into each other, late customers, miscalculated bleaching and dying times, the list went on. Everything worked out in the end, but truth be told, he was beyond tired, and so was Elliot he could tell, though he would never admit it if asked.

Just at that moment, the bell chimed again and Reim and Elliot looked at each other with confused expressions before turning towards the door.

A man with surprisingly long, snow white hair tied into a side pony walked, no skipped, in. He was dressed in a loose fitting deep violet shirt and baggy dark sweatpants. “Err… sir, apologies but we are closing up for the day…” Elliot began as he walked towards the new… visitor.

“Ehh… but Reim-san said to come in at seven~” Reim instantly recalled the somewhat, no, _very_ irritating conversation he had with that exact whiny voice the previous night and suddenly felt a headache coming on as he finished the final touches for his customer.

‘ _This is the man acquainted with Sharon-sama…?_ ’

Elliot glanced quizzically over at Reim, and in response, Reim just gave him a resigned nod. “It’s alright Elliot-kun, could you please ring Celia out and I’ll take care of…this” Reim gave a dismissive wave in the man’s direction as he helped Celia out of her seat.

“Sure… but the floors and counters…” Elliot glanced down at the cleaned floors and counters nervously.

“It’s alright, I’ll work here and take care of whatever needs tidying afterwards. It’s been a long day, good work today, you should go home and rest.”

“Aww Reim-san is so sweet, all for little ‘ol me~” The irritating man waltzed over to where Reim was and lightly poked him in the side as Elliot nodded and moved to ring Celia out.

“ _Eep!_ ” Reim jolted at the action, almost dropping his tools and swearing, but catching himself just in time, “You-!” Reim angrily turned to the man, ready to give me a piece of his mind, but stopped as he noticed the man hunched over in fits of laughter.

Reim could feel the irritation rising, before him, the man stood up straight again and dramatically wiped a tear away. It was only then that Reim got a clear look at the man’s eyes. He thought he saw a flash of bright red before focusing and seeing crystal blue instead. ‘ _Wha…? Red…. Eyes?_ ’ He suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia. ‘ _Why….did I just…?_ ’

“Oh, that reaction was absolutely great. Shame I didn’t get it on video.” He regretfully shook his head, “And it’s not ‘You’. I have a name you know." The man extended a hand towards him, "Pleasure to meet you Reim, I’m Xerxes Break~” Break sang as Reim hesitantly shook his hand and immediately regretted it as the man - Break, pranced around, trying to poke him again, cell phone in hand, with Reim ~~unsuccessfully~~  dodging.

“Well if you didn’t hang up so abruptly last night, I would’ve known!” Reim yelled, which was quite uncharacteristic of him considering his usual polite and calm demeanor.

‘ _Ugh, I must have imagined it… I have never met anyone this irritating in my entire life!_ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Break's just arrived and Reim's already about to lose his mind. I've contemplating Break's eye colour if he weren't a child of misfortune a lot, but decided that cool blue would be absolutely stunning. 
> 
> It might be a while till the next chapter, please be patient >///< I haven't worked out how Break is going to cause Reim more anguish although the main direction has been decided. Hopefully I can get it out in a reasonable amount of time!!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading! Lemme know if you've got any suggestions for future chapters or just thoughts in general!
> 
> Come chat with me @miwagashinomi on Twitter about anything ~ I don't really use it at the moment but one of my resolutions for the year is to post more :D

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please comment or kudo if you enjoyed it! Next chapter will mark the arrival of a certain white haired clown! 
> 
> Any suggestions of characters to include and/or cameo are greatly welcome! 
> 
> Although the main pair will be interactions between Reim and Break (based on a certain piece of official art...gold star for whoever guesses which one!), I might also include some Elliot x Leo interaction as well! Lemme know if you'd be interested :D
> 
> also i've made a twitter for this account if anyone wants to come scream at me about pandora hearts (and the everlasting scars it's left) ^^ @miwagashi_ <3


End file.
